Car-roof.



J. M. COLEMAN.

I CAR ROOF. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 25. 1915- Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

. cap holding bolt 23 distorting the cap or I JAMES M. COLEMAN, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

can-noon,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed January 25, 1915. Serial No. 4,220.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES M. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Provinceof Quebec and Dominion of Ganada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Roofs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in car'roofs, and more particularly to sheet metal roofs for freight cars.

The object of the invention is to, provide an improved joint between the plates forming the roof, which will permit of movement of the plates without. appreciable wear and flexion, which tend to make the plate leak at the seam. i

A further object is to provide a joint applicable equally well to wood sheathed or all metal roofs.

The desired results are obtained by pro viding intermediate the body portion of the plate and the perpendicular flange, an inclined portion arranged to slide on an inclined filler or inclined portion of a metal carline. Ample clearance is left for this movement ofthe plate and the carlinecap.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the inventionaFigure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a roof constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the seam or joint as used in. wood sheathed roofs. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the joint as in all-metal roofs.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates the roof plates which are provided at their edges with perpendicular flanges 12. Between the flanges and the body of the plate, inclined portions 13 are provided. The car-line cap consists of a substantially fiat top portion 14 anddepending side portions 15, having laterally extending flanges 16 at the bottom. The top of the cap may be offset, as at 17, to hold the same securely centered on the filler.

In the arrangement for wood sheathed roof, shown in Fig. 2, the roof sheathing is designated 18, and the carline 19. Under the carline cap, a filler or hearing strip 20 is provided, having flat top and bottonrand inclined sides 21., upon which the inclined portions 13 of the plates rest. A filler 22 is provided between the bearing 20 and the top of the cap to prevent tension of the cap are formedexactl'y as previously, de

scribed. The bearing strip 20 and filler 22 are, however, replaced'by the metal carline 24, which is provided with inclined side portions 25 corresponding with the inclined edges 21 of the bearing strip, and forming a rest for the inclined plate portions 13.

It will be noted that in Fig. 2, the flanges 16 of the cap are in contact with the inclined portions 13 of-the plate, but that in Fig. 8, these cap flanges are free from the plate. The reason for this is that in a wood sheathed car, the movement can be readily accommodated by flexion of the plate, whereas in the all metal roof, the heavier plates do not readily flex, 2.116. a free movement of the'plate is provided In the present invention, the inclined Surface 21 forms an abutment against which the inclined portion of the plate bears. This to a very large-extent eliminates movement of the sheets due to their momentum.v In thewood sheathed car, sheets are held down on this inclined surface by the flanges 16 of the cap, and the fiexion of the plates between the body and inclined portions, owing to lengthening or shortening of the roof, occurs at such a slightly bent portion of the plate that no damage is done the plate or its galvanizing. In the all metal roof, particularly of a steel frame car, there is practically no arching of the roof to be considered, but the heavier roof plates have much greater momentum and are much stiffer. For this reason, the cap flanges are left slightly clear of the inclined plate portions, so that the inclined portion at onev edge of the plate may draw slightly away from its inclined supportin surface, and slide slightly up on the inclined surface of the adjacent carline. The inclined portion is normally out of contact with any other member, is perfectly drained, and there fore should have a life substantially equal the thin easily flexed plates are so thin that any tothe body of the plate. The movement of the plate is very slight and there is furthermore onlythe weight of the car to be considered, so that friction and rubbing are very slight. Moreover, such rubbing takes place on the underside of the plate protected from the weather, and any wear.incident thereto may be disregarded.

From the foregoing description, it will be clearly seen that this invention eliminates sharp bends of the plates, tending to produce fracture, and also provides means holding the plates against movement, which would cause flexion of the plate at such bends. Any flexion of'the plate which does occur is distributed over a comparatively large area,-so'that no crystallization of the metal occurs. 7

Having thus'd'escribed my invention, what I claim is: i i

In a car roof, transverse roof plates vertically :flanged at their edges, supports for the edges of said plates sloped slightly from the horizontal, sloping portions on said plates intermediate the vertical flanges and plate bodies, very gradually into theplate body, and a cap mounted on the plate edge support covering the vertical plate flanges, and pro viding a normalclearance between said plates and sloping similarly to the plates and supported above the sloping portion of the plate. H

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMESM. COLEMAN. 8

Witnesses:

R. W. ALLEN, G. M. MORELAND.

said sloping portions curving 20 said cap and having side .flanges- 2 5 

